.338 Fed or .358 Win

[1_pointer]

I'd like a 318 WR, personally. Neat cartridge and cool history. I do enjoy my 33 WCF. It's a fun gun to hunt with (Winchester Model 86) and I'd be happy with shots out to 200 yards. Finding the flat-nose 200 grainers is a problem though.

Have you tried the gummy tipped Hornady's yet? That might be fun.

I'd probably opt for a 333 OKH over the 318...

 

[Ben Lamb]

Have you tried the gummy tipped Hornady's yet? That might be fun.

I'd probably opt for a 333 OKH over the 318...

Nothing wrong with that, or the 9x63 either.

'm not terribly interested in the gummy bear bullets. if Barnes could crack a recipe on copper that performs below 1800 fps, and made them in a flat point, then I'd be there. Until then, I have a few hundred cast and about 100 of the old Hornady FN.

 

[1_pointer]

Cutting Edge Raptor sans tip would work and they only need 1500fps to open. Plus, you wouldn't be sending money to Utah...

https://cuttingedgebullets.com/shop/cutting-edge-bullets/rifle-bullets?bullet_material=50&caliber=42

 

[mtmuley]

Hey Ben, look at the Hammer Sledgehammer. Made in Lakeside too. mtmuley

 

[Ben Lamb]

The Cutting Edge would be perfect in the lever gun. I'll puick up 50 and see how they perform.

MTmuley, I'm going to reach out to Hammer for some .318 coppers for my 8x57J & 8x57JR. The tip profile on the Hammers is too sharp for the lever gun, unfortunately.

 

[mtmuley]

Call Steve. He likes solving problems like that. mtmuley

 

[Ben Lamb]

Call Steve. He likes solving problems like that. mtmuley

Sounds like my winter is going to be full of copper fun in esoteric cartridges.

 

[35cal]

check out speers data on the .338 fed. max load for 200gr hot cor is 2700fps with alliant power pro varmint and 2550 fps with 225 gr with alliant power pro 2000

I load 200gr hc for my 16 1/2" frontier and 210gr partitions.

im losing velocity with the short barrel but im probably still getting around 2500fps with the speer data. it isn't a real long range load in my rifle, but id be comfortable out to 250yards. longer barreled rifle would be just fine past 300 yrds with these loads.

 

[D4570]

Hammer bullets will pick up 75/100 fps just because there Hammer bullets keeping everything the same. I'm not sure why.just do. I'm rebarreling a savage axis 6.5 creed to 358 win 22", and plan to run Hammer 220.

 

[44hunter45]

I've found the following .35 bullets:
Barnes- 180 & 200 TTSX, 200 & 225 TSX
Nosler- 225 AB, 225 & 250 Partition
Speer- 180, 220 & 250 Hot Cor
Hornady- 200 FTX, 200 & 250 Interlocks.

Seems out of those there a number of good bullets to chose from. Which one will do better out of a short barrel? Wouldn't the larger bore be more efficient?

Swift and Sierra have to be any list for 35 Cal.

For the money, Speer Hot Cor in 358 are surprisingly good bullets, They seem to function in everything from 35 Rem to 358 STA.

This all comes down to where you will do most of your hunting. Up close in the NE, who cares about Ballistic Coefficient?

Then there is the you-do-you thing. Do what you want, build what you what. Not what everyone else thinks you should build.

@p_ham is building a 338 for himself, but he also built me my dream rifle in 35 Cal. And it really is everything I dreamed about. You do you.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Both these cartridges seem very similar, ballistically. The 338 seems to be a little faster and the only difference between it and the .358 is bore size. Which one is a better round to load for and use for all around big game use? I'm in the north east so I don't have the opportunity to take extremely long range shots. The farthest I've calculated external ballistics out to is 350yd.

At 77 years of age, after over 60 years of owning hunting rifles, reloading, a having some fine custom rifles made, only one custom hunting rifle project interests me.

Before going further, let me say that my all-time favorite rifle in hand outdoor adventures came with two custom 35 Whelen's. On three different trips I took one to Alaska for a live off the land adventure. Each trip I paid $20 for my nonresident small game license.

Further for decades I did most all my hunting with one of these 35 Whelen's. I loved hunting antelope in mountain meadows of NW Wyoming. It was Grizz country and I felt comforted having my Whelen.

So back to my final custom rifle project.

I would get a Sako 75 Finnlight in a 308. or 7mm-08 and have a custom barrel made for it in 358 Winchester, with a 1/16 twist. I had a Remington Classic in 35 Whelen with this twist. It shot the Barnes 225 grain TSX well under MOA. It also shot the 158 grain lead round nose bullets very well for small game with a light load of Unique. My other Whelen was the 1/14 twist and the lead small game bullets were nowhere near as accurate.

Also, the 1/6 twist permitted shot loads mixed with 6's an 8's shot size to be reasonable for quail and grouse up close.

This twist handled 38 and 357 bullets as well.

The Sako Action, allowed bullets to be dropped in and push fed, and If one looks with patience, you will find those Sako peep sights. Of course, a front sight will be needed. Lastly, again with patience look for some original Sako Opitlock rings in extra low.

There is nothing anywhere that such a rig cannot do. Mine shot just fine out to 350 yards, and the big game I shot with it never needed more than one shot.